Pezinok, West Slovakia, March 26 (CTK) – Slovak journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancee Martina Kusnirova were murdered on January 21, four days before their bodies were found, Slovak prosecutor said today, releasing for the first time details of the shooting of the couple, which caused political crisis in the country.
According to the prosecutor, the police are investigating several motives of the murder. Slovak Police President Tibor Gaspar previously said the most likely motive for the murder was Kuciak’s work of an investigative journalist.
“There were [on the scene] no traces of a fight and nothing was stolen. These circumstances point to a murder on order,” a prosecutor of the special prosecution office, who did not want his name to be disclosed, said at the press conference.
He added that Kusnirova was killed by one shot in the head, while Kuciak by two shots in the heart. Both murders were committed within five minutes, using a nine-millimetre pistol.
From the prosecutor’s words, it ensues that so far, the detectives have not been working with any most likely motive of the murder.
The police informed public about the murder in the victim’s house on February 26, but did point out to an earlier date of the crime then.
The police found both victims’ bodies on February 25 late at night when alerted by their family.
The special prosecution office based in Pezinok deals with most serious crimes and it is supervising the investigation of the case. Its prosecutors are subject to special protection.
Last week, Slovak President Andrej Kiska appointed the new cabinet of Peter Pellegrini after previous prime minister Robert Fico’s (both Smer-Social Democracy) resignation amid the political crisis.